I've got my wings back...

I can't believe it had been over a year and half since the last time I went flying. I think after we lost the Aircoupe I wasn't too excited about flying anymore. When you own an airplane there is encouragement to go fly it since you have to pay for it regardless if you use it, whereas when you rent you only pay when you use it and you pay more.

Once you've got your private pilot's license you don't loose it, but in order to exercise it, you need a valid medical certificate, and bi-annual review in the last two years. The good news is that any flight instructor can perform the biannual so it is pretty informal. I hadn't done a bi-annual since I got my license so I was due. Last week I got off my butt and did a bi-annual review with an instructor. After about 2 hours of ground review, and 2.6 hours of flight time I was free to roam the skies again. And last night I did my required 3 full stop landings, so I'm now current to carry passengers at night as well. I also did a few touch and go’s down the main runway at Fargo. When things are not too busy at the airport you can request multiple touch and go’s from the tower. Then in one pass down the runway you take off and land a number of times. It helps get used to flaring at the proper height for those landings where all you hear is the scream from the tires as they touch down.

Looking back at owning the ‘coupe I’d say it was a really good experience. But I have some regrets. Not in what you’d probably expect though. I kick myself repeatedly for not flying that plane more when we had it. The cost to fly was so low in comparisons, and our monthly payment was less than my cell phone bill – no joke. There isn’t any good excuse as why I don’t have my instrument rating or commercial rating. It bothers me. If I could do it all over again, I would have flown the wings off of the plane. If you ever have an opportunity like that regardless what it is, make sure you don’t make the same mistake I did, and not take full advantage of it, because it can end very quickly.

Since then I've got the bug again to buy another airplane. I'm thinking maybe later this fall I'll see where things are at. Two of the former owners of the Aircoupe are interested in setting up another partnership. So we shall see!

And for fun, here is a picture of the Aircoupe we used to have. Can you believe I flew that thing over a third of the US? Now that was something I definitely don’t regret!